Questionable Faith
by J.S.Mallory
Summary: A group of shadowrunners are thrown together in order to find a wayward son. In their quest to track him down, they find themselves dealing with a magical nightmare within their own city.
1. The Meet

QF Chapter 1 – The Meet

For once, he was early.

Burn sat by himself in a waiting area, while he waited for the rest of his team and Mr. Johnson to arrive. The wood-paneled walls of the Mercer Island Country Club surrounded him, offering a cozy, rural atmosphere to those who had to kill time in the building. As a result, Burn felt a little out of place.

He had given himself a lot of free time to make sure he got to this meet on time. The Native-controlled Mercer Island was notorious for their border security (despite technically being a part of Seattle) and he was used to being discriminated against for being an ork and for having extensive cybernetic modification, but somehow the guards didn't see a need to quadruple-check his credentials and let him through after a single check. So now he waited.

Being the only visible Caucasian in a building surrounded in a predominantly Sioux building was a little unnerving, but he did his best to hide his discomfort. In an effort to relax, Burn pulled out one of his clove cigarettes and lit the tip, taking a deep drag. Letting the smoke roll off his lips, he sighed, "That's better…"

"I recognize that stink…and the cigarettes too."

Burn turned to see an enormous silhouette standing in the hall. A tusky smirk broke across the ork's face. "Hoi Magnus. Long time, no see."

Magnus strode into the lit area where Burn was waiting. "Hoi yourself, chummer. How's the biz treatin' ya?"

"Lousy. I need to make rent and nothin's been coming my way. My fixer called me up and said, 'This job pays well and could be good for your rep', whatever that means…"

"It means people don't like ya," Magnus goaded. "Making a living out of blowing shit up doesn't put you in many people's good books, ya know?"

"We aren't supposed to be in people's 'good books'. We do the crap no one else will touch, remember? Take a load off and pull up a chair. Loomin' over me like that makes me feel inadequate."

The troll looked around and shrugged. "Don't think there's anything here that'll support me. Don't want broken chairs to come out of my pay…"

"Sure sure, you just like looking imposing is all."

"Is this where we meet Mr. Johnson?"

Magnus and Burn turned to the sound of the new voice. A slender Hispanic woman looked at Burn and Magnus with a certain degree of trepidation.

_Great…_ Burn thought. _A green one…_

"Sure is, Miss. I go by Magnus and this grumpy guy is Burn."

Magnus offered a hand toward the new arrival and despite the impressive size difference; she didn't hesitate to shake the troll's hand. "They call me Cabras."

"You're from Aztlan, right?" Magnus asked.

"Yes…how'd you guess?"

"You still have a bit of an accent. That and the chupacabra legends originate from that part of the world… that's where your nick comes from, right?"

"I'm impressed," Cabras said with a smirk. "Not many people get the reference."

"Not many people outside the corporate sector get an education," Magnus said. "So, what's your role to play?"

"I'm your magic support for this one," Cabras said.

"Always good to have a mage along for the ride, right Burn?"

Burn simply scowled.

Cabras walked over to Burn and offered her hand. "Not a fan of magic, huh? I'll try not to do anything that offends you, how's that?"

Burn glared at Cabras' hand and back to her face. "You'll forgive me if I don't take an Azzie mage at her word."

"Just because she comes from Aztlan doesn't make her evil, Burn. Jeez, loosen up man."

"Whatever…"

"Well, isn't this a motley crew…"

The team looked at the new arrival as she strode into the waiting room. She carried herself regally, despite the disappointed look on her face as she took in her teammates. Her hair was cut in a conservative style that was practical for her line of work, but would help her blend in to the corporate sector. Her coffee-coloured skin was lightly dusted with make-up, to accent her features in the most flattering way possible.

"You must be the team face," Burn said, stating the obvious.

"You must be the team war-monger," the woman said, with equal sarcasm.

"Actually, that's probably my job," Magnus said with a smile. "Burn here's our ride and back up firepower. This is Cabras, she's our resident magician. I'm Magnus. I'm what most would refer as a 'blunt instrument'."

"Charming…" the woman said. "You can call me Ada. I'll be handling all of the social work and putting a shining face on our dirty profession."

The doors to the inner lounge opened and a Native American in a suit gave the runners a curt nod. "Mr. Johnson will see you now."

Burn stood up and followed his team into the lounge. The wood paneling continued into this room, dotted with bookcases, tanned animal skins and assorted varieties of taxidermy trophies along the wall. Seated at the center table of the vacant lounge was Mr. Johnson, a Native American man in a pressed suit, surrounded in a ring of empty beer glasses.

_Ah Christ…This just keeps getting better… _Burn thought.

Stifling his concerns, he sat down at the table and decided to hear what the Johnson had to offer.

Despite the amount of alcohol he had consumed, Mr. Johnson was still quite focused. Obviously a champion drinker…

"My boy has gone missing. While not the first time he's gone off, this is the longest period of time since I've heard from him and I know he's been depressed. I need to know where he is and if he's all right."

"That's the job?" Burn asked, with some disbelief. Ada shot him a cold stare and he slouched back in his seat.

"Mr. Johnson, it would aid the search for your son if we knew what might have been the catalyst for his depression. Help us narrow down where he might seek solace," Ada suggested.

"Erm…okay. He was once a respectable mage. A real up-and-comer. Then an accident at a facility he was working at cost him his arm and his magic began to fade with the new cybernetic one they issued him,"

Burn shifted in his seat. This story, save for the magic part, was starting to sound all too familiar.

"The pain killers they had him on, well…he got addicted and his magic faded away even further until he lost it completely,"

Cabras shuddered and whispered, "Burnout…"

"He was never the same," Mr. Johnson said, shaking his head. After vacantly staring at the table for a brief moment, he looked up at the runners once more. "It's been a month since I last heard from him. I can offer you 20,000¥ to track him down…can you help me?"

"Well, this is what I'm looking at Mr. Johnson," Ada began, leaning forward, placing her elbows on the table. "You want us to track down your wayward son and bring him back here, while he has a month's head start on us and could be practically anywhere. There are four of us and a lot of travel could be involved. My exceptionally large colleague here," she said gesturing to Magnus, "alone costs extra. Perhaps your offering could be increased an extra third, with a portion of that as an advance to cover start up expenses?"

Mr. Johnson's eyes went wide in shock that the runners would ask for more, but as Ada's reasoning went through his mind, he realized that she did have a point. They were a month behind.

"I can offer you 25,000¥, with the additional amount up front, but please, you have to realize that this is coming out of my own pocket…"

Ada stood up and scowled. "And you must realize that I am more than familiar with this type of job. Nobody has that kind of money sitting around, unless you are a CEO and you are certainly not a CEO. You are dipping into the company's slush fund and we both know it. So, if you aren't going to play ball with us, then I suppose our business is concluded."

"Twenty eight and not a nuyen more," Mr. Johnson said, meeting the runner's eyes.

Ada refused to smile, but simply nodded and sat back down. "I believe you have yourself a team."

Mr. Johnson breathed a sigh of relief. Reaching into his pocket, Mr. Johnson set an RFID tag onto the table. "This chip has some information that should get you started in your search. My son's SIN profile and a photo of him."

Ada accessed the chip with her commlink and scrolled through the contents. She studied the three-dimensional image of the young man the data identified as Peter Walsh. It showed Peter and Mr. Johnson on the deck of a large boat, each holding an impressive-sized fish. While Mr. Johnson was all smiles in the photo, Peter's enthusiasm was not so evident. His cybernetic left arm was clearly visible and the left side of his face was marred with scar tissue. Judging by his build and the undamaged side of his face, he was once athletic and handsome.

"He's quite the looker," Ada commented. "He must have been a ladies man in school, Mr. Walsh…"

"He had many girlfriends, but no serious relation…" Mr. Johnson paused and realized that Ada had referred to him by his actual name instead of the alias. "Isn't that a breach of protocol, using a real name?"

"Relax, Mr. Johnson," Ada said with a smirk, "I simply wanted to make sure you responded to the name. Wouldn't want to deliver the young man into the hands of a false father…"

"Ah…yes, good," Mr. Johnson said, taking some comfort in the presented moral compass. "Do you require any more information from me?"

"Just our advance and a way to reach you when the job is complete," Ada said.

Mr. Johnson keyed at his commlink for a brief moment before turning his attentions back to the runners. "Your cash and an LTG number have been added to the chip on the table. I will take my leave and let you get down to business."

The Johnson strolled out of the room, leaving the runners alone in the room.

"I need everyone's comm info," Ada stated.

Each runner set their commlinks to an active state, so they could detect each other automatically and subscribed everyone's commlinks together in a minor network.

"I'm wiring everyone their cash and all the info Mr. J gave us," Ada said, has she dragged holograms towards the three wireless links on her display.

"You're a hacker, huh?" Burn asked.

"I've picked up some basic hacking skills, though I wouldn't delve into a corporate system," Ada said. "I have trusted friends that can handle that for me."

"So, where do we start?" Cabras inquired.

"Well, the way I see it, we have this Walsh guy's life in our hands with his SIN profile. We should look up some key data in his life and figure out something from there," Magnus suggested.

"Agreed," said Ada. "Everyone take a chunk of his SIN and dissect it for anything of note."

Each runner sat in silence as they scrolled through the copious amounts of information that was in Peter's SIN.

"Anyone learn anything?" Magnus asked after a couple minutes.

"I learned that I'm glad I'm not in the system…look at all this shit! It has every purchase he's made for the past five years in here…" Burn said, motioning at the fast-scrolling hologram in front of him.

"I've got his home address," Magnus stated. "Turns out this boy's an Ares corper. Was part of security till his accident."

"I went through his licenses. He has scads of magical licenses, but naturally, they've expired," Cabras said. "He does still have active hunting and fishing licenses for the Salish nation, though. Recently renewed…about a month and half ago."

"I've found his commcode and vehicle ID tag," Ada said. "We've got some options. Where would you like to start?"

"Commcodes can be jammed and vehicles parked anywhere…tracing those could lead us on a wild goose chase," Magnus offered.

"There's no guarantee he has been home recently. I'm sure his father would have tried that before forking out nuyen to the likes of us," Cabras stated.

"And there's no way in hell I'm sifting through all this," Burn said.

"All right then," Ada said. "I'll go through his licenses and see if we get a hit."

The face opened a small compartment on the outside of her commlink and pulled out a pair of AR gloves. Setting her commlink down on the table, she brought up a holographic interface that hovered in front of her. Pulling the gloves on, she quickly got to work, navigating the various icons using her hands.

She pushed the local system off to the side to bring up the wider Seattle local telecommunication grid, in the form of the Seattle skyline. She brought up a query box and asked, "Where is the UCAS Government node?"

The hologram paused for moment before numerous icons rose up above the green glowing cityscape. Lightly touching each node, it informed Ada which icons represented which parts of the government. Finding a local licensing bureau, she pressed down on the symbol and the icon expanded to fill her view. Before her was a rendering of a government office. Ada clicked on reception and sat back in her seat.

The office hologram was replaced with the smiling face of a receptionist. "Tacoma Licensing Bureau, how might I assist you today?"

"My name is Emily Proctor and I'm with a private investigations company. We're in search of a wayward son and I was wondering if you could provide us with license access information to aid in our investigation."

"Which company are you with, Ms. Proctor?"

"I'm sending you the information now," Ada said, as she forwarded forged credentials into the receptionist.

"Please wait until I confirm these," the receptionist said before putting her on hold.

"Isn't this a bit risky?" Burn asked.

"The credentials should be ironclad. I haven't used them before," Ada reassured him.

"And if they see through it?" Burn asked.

"Then we need to relocate real fast."

"Ms. Proctor?" the receptionist said, as she came back into view.

"Yes?"

"I am sending you the data you requested. The processing fee for the information is 250¥."

Ada authorized the wireless transfer of cash and a new icon appeared in her holographic display. "Data received. Thank you very much."

"You are quite welcome. Good luck in your search, Ms. Proctor."

Ada collapsed her Matrix session and opened the newly acquired document. "Here we go…his fishing license was accessed about two weeks ago. The access happened in a small town in the Salish Nation called Moses Lake."

"Looks like we're crossing the border," Magnus said. "Travel light ladies and gents. We don't want to attract attention."

"We still have a slight problem. Just because his license was accessed there doesn't mean he's still there. We're still behind him by two weeks," Burn offered.

"I guess we need to go through the purchase history after all," Cabras suggested.

"I am not going through all this…"

"Restrict it to anything within the past two weeks," Ada said, impatiently.

Burn typed in the filter condition and the list began to shrink. "There's still gonna be a ton of…or not."

Everyone looked at Burn's commlink display and saw a mere dozen transactions since accessing his licenses.

"Hmm…he got a hotel room and meals for a few days and nothing since. That doesn't bode well," Magnus said.

"Still, it gives us a place to check. Let's get our gear and meet at the Mercer Island Bridge in three hours. From there we head for Moses Lake, agreed?" Ada asked.

"Agreed," said Magnus.

"I'll be there," Cabras said.

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," Burn said, standing up.

"See you all soon," Ada said.

The team left the country club in shifts to avoid looking suspicious to anyone on the island.


	2. En Route to Salish Lands

QF Chapter 2 – En Route to Salish Lands

Burn pulled up in his van and everyone was already waiting.

"Bout time you showed…" Ada grumbled.

"Sue me. I had to get gas and got caught in traffic," Burn said, unlocking the back door.

"Wow…someone actually still drives a polluter," Ada said, shaking her head.

"I'd rather not be tracked by GridGuide, thank you very much…"

"Would you two knock it off?" Magnus said, tossing a large sword and an SMG into the floor compartment in the back of the van. "We've gotta work together for the next while and I don't wanna have to thrash my own teammates."

Burn and Ada gave each other a cool glance, but said nothing else. Cabras slid into the passenger seat alongside Burn. "I'll keep my eyes open for anything you can't see," she said. The ork simply nodded.

Pulling away from the bridge, Burn circled the Native island and headed for the I-90, which would take them east out of the plex and into the Salish-Shidhe Council. The drive to the border took the better part of an hour and most of it was spent in silence.

Cabras shuddered as they rolled through the part of the I-90 that passed Redmond.

"Problem?" Burn asked her.

"Redmond unnerves me," she said, looking over the desolation and poverty. "The whole area has a feeling of death and despair."

"Nuclear accidents tend to do that," Burn said, looking over the field of grey to the north. Points of light could be seen, where gangs were lighting fires to congregate and keep warm. "I've spent some time in Redmond. Rough town, but there's still a lot of spirit there. It's just concealed well, under violence and disease."

Cabras looked away and nodded. "I wish I could see the lighter side of it. All I feel is death."

"OK, let's change topics," Magnus said, cheerfully in the back. "We're going to hit the border soon. What's our cover story?"

"What if we use the same idea as Mr. Walsh? That we're going to meet a friend in the Native Nation for some hunting and he'll be coming back with us?" Burn suggested.

"Valid suggestion, but we'd run into an issue," Ada said. "None of us have a hunting license. Border security would know we're lying."

"Plus, the trail on Walsh has gone cold. Who's to say he's even in the Salish Nation anymore?" Magnus stated. "We can't assume we're coming back heavy. We cite vacation in Moses Lake, make sure we come back with souvenirs and if we do come back with Walsh, we bag and gag him and conceal him from border patrol."

"How do we hide him astrally? You could hide him under small stuff, but his aura would still be visible to a mage," Cabras stated.

"I have a hidden compartment in the van that's roughly the size of a coffin. We seal him in there just before we hit the border. It's fully enclosed, so unless they peer into the floor of my van, they won't see him. Then we just have to hope they let us through before he runs out of air," Burn said with a shrug.

"We'll cross that hurdle when we get there," Ada said. "The vacation story should hold up to get us across the border. Anything else at this point is speculative. Put on your happy faces…"

The van rolled up to the border crossing into the Salish Nation. A heavyset Native American stepped out of his booth as Burn rolled down his window.

"Good evening sir," the guard said.

Burn smiled a tusky grin. "Evenin'"

"Where are you folks headed?"

"We're heading down to Moses Lake for a retreat. Get away from the city and all."

"Good town. Lots of good back country out there. You going hiking?"

"My buddy and I are, but I think the ladies will likely be shopping and hitting any spas they might find," Burn said with a chuckle.

"Well there's a few of those around that part of the country. Any items you need to declare?"

Burn pulled his pistol from its holster and offered it to the guard butt-first. "I think you'll find the paperwork is in order,"

The rest of the team also handed in a small personal firearm and wired the permits to the guard for checking.

The guard gave each of the permits a thorough going-over.

"He sure is taking a while…" Ada said. "Your permits are good, right?"

"Of course. My fixer gave me his utmost assurance that the permits would pass any inspection," Burn said.

The guard emerged from the booth. "Excuse me, Mr. Reynolds?"

Burn looked up at the sound of his alias. "Yeah?"

"There seems to be a slight problem with one of your permits…"

Burn raised an eyebrow and gave the guard a sidelong glance. "Oh?"

"Your firearms permit has expired."

"Ah crap…I thought I renewed that. What's the charge?"

"Without a permit, I'm afraid I need to confiscate the weapon."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm rather fond of her…can't I just pay for the permit?"

"I don't have clearance to issue new permits," the guard stated.

"Tell you what. I'll give you 500¥, which is well more than the permit is worth. You hand me back my firearm and by the time I come back this way, I'll have my paperwork in order."

The guard looked at Burn with scrutiny, warring with the ethical issue at hand. Surveying the area, he looked for anyone paying too much attention. The guard then gave a slight nod.

Burn wired the funds to the guard, as the man returned his weapon.

"Enjoy your stay," the guard said, with a mistrustful undertone to his voice.

The bar rose up and Burn rolled into the Salish Nation.

"That was smooth…" Cabras said. Magnus started laughing.

"Pass any inspection, huh?" Ada said with disgust.

"I'll be having words with my fixer, trust me," Burn said through clenched teeth.

"You realize that guy's going to screw us, right?" Magnus said, getting his laughter under control.

"Yeah…I'll be pulling over and changing the plates and transponder code once we get far enough away from the border," Burn said.

"Well, we have a long drive ahead of us. Perhaps we should learn what each other can do, outside of what we already know," Magnus suggested.

"Why don't you start then?" Ada prompted.

"All right. I grew up on the streets of Seattle and as a result learned to protect myself pretty quickly. I'm a skilled fighter, for one with no formal training. I'm also fairly intelligent and since becoming a runner, I've studied Engineering and Chemistry. I let people's pre-conceived notions of trolls being idiots work for me."

"OK. How are you in social situations?" Ada asked.

"I can keep up, though most people don't treat me with much respect, so I tend to keep quiet unless prompted. I can play dumb quite well. I mastered that one some time ago, as a matter of survival."

"Fine. What about you, Burn? Obviously, you aren't one for the social angles…" Ada said.

Burn scowled but didn't make a comment. "I drive and I shoot things. I'm skilled with explosives and can mix it up in hand-to-hand if called for. Despite its ancient appearance, my cyberarm has been improved upon with a few nice surprises."

"Uh-huh…" Ada said, shaking her head. "What about you, Cabras?"

"Combat is certainly not my strength. I'm an illusionist and healer primarily. I prefer distracting with illusion to being anywhere near a conflict. Spellcasting is my strength, though I can commune with spirits, if needed."

"What about you, Ms. Negotiator?" Burn asked.

"I prefer to talk and manipulate my way through any situation, as opposed to combat. Almost any situation can be defused with a proper application of deception and bribery. However, in those times when combat is unavoidable, I can hold my own effectively."

"Fair enough," Magnus said. "So, knowing what little bit we know about each other, what is the best way to approach this going forward?"

"Well, Magnus is definitely the most approachable of all of us, personality-wise," Cabras began, "But Ada can tell anyone exactly what they want to hear. I believe that until the situation changes, Ada and Magnus will take point with Burn and I in support."

"I agree with that synopsis," Magnus said with a nod. "That sounds like a decent foundation until we find out exactly what we're up against. And I'm flattered you find me approachable."

Cabras caught the troll's smile and wink. She turned away to hide her smile.

"Hold off on the flirting till we're done this, kay?" Burn said, rolling his eyes. "I don't need unnecessary mental images of Magnus while we're working."

"Bite me, pyro," Magnus returned.


	3. Moses Lake

QF Chapter 3 – Moses Lake

Moses Lake was once a sprawling rural town with a respectable tourism industry. Then the Great Ghost Dance happened and the white man was evicted from the city. While many of the tourist traps remained active, there were insufficient residents to keep the town fully functional. The parts of the town that clustered around the waterfront were maintained, while the outskirts fell into disrepair. In order to keep things moving, some whites were permitted to return, but the prime real estate is still in the hands of the assorted tribes that have held the power for the past thirty to forty years.

"I have to remember this place…" Burn said as he rolled into the outskirts. "Look at all these abandoned homes. I could squirrel away a decent nest egg in those places."

"Provided someone else hasn't beaten you to them," Magnus said. "Remember, those have been vacant for a long time, chummer."

"Where do we start?" Cabras asked.

"According to Peter's purchase history," Ada said, while scrolling through his transactions, "He rented himself a cabin at the Moses Lake Waterfront Gaming Resort. We should start there."

Burn linked his car into the local navigation grid. A map of the town appeared on the screen in his dashboard with a red line, showing the best route to the resort.

After a short drive, the dilapidated buildings gave way to the resort town. Everything was well maintained and manicured; a polar opposite to the outskirts. People came and went at all hours in the resort portion of the city with a respectable police presence.

"I can see why people like us would remain in the outskirts. The cops are everywhere," Burn stated.

"Which is why we have to be careful. We can't afford to bring heat down on us before we even find our guy," Ada stated.

As the car rolled up outside the rental office, the waters of Moses Lake were visible beyond the parking lot. The log cabin exterior offered up some insight as to what kind of lodging the resort offered its potential clients. Despite the late hour, the office was still open for business.

"OK, I'll do all the talking. You guys hang back," Ada ordered, as she climbed out of Burn's van.

"Whatever," Burn muttered, as he turned off the vehicle and stepped out.

The runners walked up into the front door of the rental office to find the interior looked vastly different from the exterior. Inside was lavishly decorated, with art and a deep stained wood floor. The walls were an off-white colour, dotted with tasteful-yet-nondescript artwork. The counter top where the clerk stood was a blend of wood construction and holographic advertisements, showing that the resort had the latest in Matrix equipment available for all visitors.

"May I help you?" the clerk asked, with some degree of hesitation, as he looked over the people spread out before him.

"I certainly hope so," Ada said. Leaning on the counter, she smiled warmly at the man. "My associates and I were told a mutual friend of ours was staying here. He offered to take us into the woods and show us some fine hunting. Any chance you can tell us which cabin he's in?"

"I'm afraid not. Our renters' confidentiality is one of the things we guarantee. We get celebrities and politicians down here often. We can't risk exposing anyone or our reputation will suffer."

"I can understand that," Ada said.

"I'll get him away from the terminal," Cabras said over her subvocal mic.

Cabras turned back towards the parking lot and began shaping the mana around her. She felt the magic running through her body, as she channeled the energies outside.

"Hey!" the clerk said, looking over Ada's shoulder. "What are they doing?"

The team followed his gaze to see a band of teenagers running through the parking lot, shaking cans of spray paint.

The clerk briefly said "Excuse me, miss," before rounding the counter and running towards the parking lot.

As the man threw open the door and began yelling at the illusion Cabras created, the magician animated the illusion to behave in a manner appropriate to what was being yelled. Taking her cue, Ada pulled out a cable from a hidden compartment in her commlink and plugged it into the clerk's terminal. The holographic display popped up, showing the assorted icons associated with the business. Clicking on 'Bookings', it popped up one icon per cabin. Unable to sift through it properly, she made a quick lasso motion around all the icons and dragged it to her root bin. All the data transferred to her commlink and she disconnected her cable, replacing it in its compartment.

Cabras had her make-believe youths run away before having the illusion dissipate.

The clerk returned to his post. "My apologies. Was there anything else I can assist you with?"

"What time is your morning wake up call for hunters?" Ada asked.

"6:30."

Ada groaned. "That early, huh? All right, I'll try to reach him on his commlink around then and hope we can link up then. Thank you."

The runners returned to the parking lot and climbed inside Burn's van. "Good thinking, Cabras. I didn't want things to get unpleasant," Magnus stated.

"What'd we get?" Burn asked Ada.

The face simply raised a finger, as she was placing a call. "Hey Octal. Listen, I just had to do some impromptu data theft at a hotel in Salish and I didn't have a chance to see if the lobby had a camera. Could you go in and delete any camera footage of us from their archives? Great. I'll slip you some cred when I get back to the plex. Sure thing."

Magnus' face woke a smirk that read _I'm impressed_ as Burn impatiently waited for the results of her efforts.

"OK," Ada said, as she went through the booking information. "It would seem that Peter Walsh has Cabin 6 rented."

"Great, lets go get him," Burn said.

"Hold on," Magnus said. "We don't even know if he's still here. His financial transactions showed he hasn't done anything for a few days. We should get some rest, stake out the cabin to search for any activity and then go in."

"Agreed," Ada said.

"Sounds smart," Cabras stated.

Burn smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, good call. Always makin' me look bad."

"You make it easy for me," Magnus said with a wide smile.

Burn gave the troll a shot to the arm before starting the van and heading for a nearby cheap hotel.


	4. Peter's Cabin

QF Chapter 4 – Peter's Cabin

"Anything?" Magnus asked, as he crept through the trees to the place where Burn was crouched down.

"Nothing."

The ork was soaked from rain that had started up hours before. Magnus had taken the first shift of watching the cabin but the rain had started part way through Burn's rotation.

"Anything come up from Cabras or Ada?" Burn asked.

"Nothing. No signals coming out or astral irregularities. It's real quiet. I'm thinking he's not here any more."

"Or dead…" Burn said.

"Ever the optimist, aren't ya Burn?"

"You spend six hours in the rain and tell me how happy you'd be," Burn said, scowling.

"Hey, at least rain out here won't melt your skin off."

A twig snapped behind the two runners and Burn wheeled around with gun drawn. Ada and Cabras froze and raised their hands.

"Whoa! Easy boy. There isn't anyone around for miles," Cabras said.

Burn holstered his weapon and turned back toward the cabin. "Anyone else have a weird vibe about this?"

"I don't sense anything. Nothing on the magic side of things is off," Cabras offered.

"I dunno. This is a hunting lodge, right? So why in all the time I've been here have I not seen a single game animal?"

Magnus looked at Burn with a puzzled expression. "Come to think of it, neither did I."

The women scanned the tree line for signs of life. "There aren't even any birds…odd."

Burn drew his pistol again. "Call me paranoid, but I think I'll be prepared for the 'nothing' that surrounds the cabin."

"We can't worry about what we can't see. Let's get going," Magnus said.

The runners crept out from the trees toward the cabin. The log cabin was lined with countless windows and looked out over Moses Lake. The lights were off inside, save for the lights from the security panel in the living room.

"Is the alarm set?" Burn asked, as he peered through water-blurred windows.

Ada wiped away the rain water with her sleeve to get a better look at the panel for the split second before new water replaced it. "I don't think so."

Magnus strode to the front door and turned the handle. The door opened freely.

"Shit…" Magnus drew his own weapon before stepping across the threshold.

The runners crept into the darkened cabin, looking for anything out of place. Burn flipped on the light on his way in. The lamps lit the interior up, revealing a room that looked lived in, but the occupant had suddenly left.

"Wherever he went, he didn't take his stuff," Cabras noticed.

"Spread out and look for him. Stay close and leave your comm channel open," Ada said.

The runners fanned out and searched the rooms of the cabin for any signs of Peter.

"Got moldy food in the kitchen," Ada said.

"Bed's unmade, car key is still here…so are his clothes," Cabras relayed.

"Got something…" Burn said. "Come to the den."

The runners converged on the den, where Burn sat in a swivel chair, surrounded in hunting trophies and rifles.

He spun around in his chair, holding up a pamphlet. "What flavour would you like your cult today?"

"Huh?" Ada said, snatching away the pamphlet and looking through it. "Sons of the Awakening – Come Untap the Power Within us All… sounds like a crock to me."

"Sounds dangerous to me," Cabras said. "What else does it say?"

Ada began reading:

_Have you been in an accident and lost your magical potential?_

_Are you a mundane, who has always dreamed of being able to manipulate the unseen world around you?_

_Perhaps we can help!_

_We are the Sons of the Awakening, and we have learned how to tap into the unused potential within us all!_

_Interested? Think we are pulling your leg?_

_Give us a try! Stop in for a free seminar and see what we're all about._

_You may be surprised._

_We offer magical empowerment to any who join our group, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity._

_Sign up today and there is no charge for your first seminar and taking the pledge!_

_You could be fully initiated into the society in as little as two months!_

_Mundane members can apply for true magical training after finding their own Throne of the Soul. This one year course will allow you to cast as well as a born mage!_

_There is power in all of us_

_If there is one thing that Halley's Comet and SURGE showed us, is that there is latent power in every one of us. All it takes is a little push._

_Dr. Nickson, our organization's founding father, sought a way to reclaim the power he lost when a rampant disease robbed him of his power._

_The answer he found was a relic called the Book of Gaf, a tome lost since the days of Atlantis and the Fourth World. Through Gaf's teachings, Dr. Nickson has reclaimed his lost powers and has taught others how to do so as well._

_The Sons of the Awakening bring the teachings of Gaf to Seattle, with the promise of unlocking your hidden abilities. Gaf shows us that the manasphere, the source of all magician's power, has been badly corrupted since the days of Gaf. To tap into pure power, one must find the source of power within themselves, called "The Throne of the Soul"._

_The Throne of the Soul is where the power can be found within us all. While the tainted manasphere around us isn't strong enough to draw out our gifts naturally, you can access them right now._

_Burnouts and mundanes are our primary candidates, as they have either purged themselves of the tainted mana, or have never been touched by it. Learn the basis of true power!_

_Come and visit us in our Seattle location. Tap into an all new world and perceive the world in an all new way._

_I have found my Throne. The time has come for you to find yours._

_Eric Dalhousie_

_Founder of the Sons of the Awakening_

"Son of a…" Magnus said. "I really didn't want to deal with cultists today,"

"Is there ever a good day for dealing with cults?" Burn asked.

"Do you suppose there's any truth to this?" Ada asked.

"No. Magic is something you're born with. You can't be given the gift at will," Cabras said with conviction.

"Obviously our boy bought it. He must have gone back into the city with someone else…and quickly, if he left all his stuff behind," Magnus said.

"You're assuming he went willingly…" Burn said.

"Or that he joined this cult at all. This could be a plant to throw us off the real trail. We don't know anything, other than he might have been planning to get his magic back," Ada said.

"Cabras," Burn began, "If you lost your mojo and someone told you that they could get it back for you, would you do it?"

Cabras thought about it and shuddered. "It'd be similar to you going blind or deaf for me to lose my magic. Yes, I think I'd try it."

"So, there's a strong likelihood that he's gone to join this cult in hopes of getting his magic back," Burn stated.

"I guess we're going back to Seattle," Magnus said.

"We'd better go back to our hotel and gather our things. I have a call to make so I can have my permit problem resolved," Burn said.

"All set?"

"Yep. If my permit fails this time, I'm going to have to beat him up," Burn said, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. "Time to head back to the smog-filled city, I suppose."

Burn opened the hotel room door and saw two men standing there, patiently smiling.

"Yaa…what are you doing?" Burn asked the men. He did nothing to hide his irritation.

"We just wanted to tell you that your friend is all right and that there is no reason for you to seek him out. He is safe."

"Oh…OK…" Burn said, as his face went slack.

Cabras saw Burn's will slipping away and perceived the astral plane. She saw tendrils of magic rising up from the two visitors and reaching into Burn's aura. With a quick casting, the tendrils dispersed.

Burn shook his head as the spell's effect wore off. "You little…" The ork gave no warning to his magic-using visitor and punched the perceived leader of the duo in the head. Bones in his cheek gave way to the metal limb and he went down in a heap.

The remaining zealot made a subtle gesture with his hand and Burn flew backwards into the hotel room, clipping the trideo unit and sending the both of them to the floor.

Magnus bolted forward and grabbed the man by the collar. Lifting him up off the floor, Magnus pinned him to the wall. "Where is Peter Walsh?"

The man smirked and said nothing. He attempted to strike Magnus down with magic, but Cabras unraveled his spells as quickly as he could cast them.

"I'm waiting."

The man continued his silent smirk, meeting the troll's gaze with confidence.

"He's useless. He's likely been brainwashed not to tell, or doesn't actually know," Ada suggested.

Magnus pulled the man toward him and delivered a heavy headbutt to the zealot's skull. He dropped the unconscious assailant to the floor and sighed. "Well, at least we know they have him now."

Ada offered her hand down to Burn, who pushed the trid off of himself and accepted her assistance. "Thanks…"

Burn strode over to the unconscious man that had tossed him across the room and delivered a solid kick to the chest. "Fucking cultist!"


	5. Return to Seattle

QF Chapter 5 – Return to Seattle

The team drove back to Seattle in silence. Magnus was cleaning weapons in preparation for dealing with likely-hostile cult members. Cabras was resting to rid herself of the after effects of combating the other magician's spells. Ada was touching base with her contacts in case she needed to call upon them. Burn sat fuming in silence. He was upset that his mind had been so easy controlled. He feared magic, though he wouldn't confess it to his teammates. He was pretty good at carrying himself in whatever role a team needed him for. But magic was something he had no control over. He couldn't see it and couldn't stop it.

"OK, we need to figure out what we're going to do next," Burn said, finally breaking the silence.

"There's still lots of time before we get back to the city," Ada said, as she tried to figure out who to call next.

"I don't like being left to my own thoughts at the moment, since they're aggressive and I have nothing to break…" Burn said.

Magnus chuckled. "Well I assume we're going to look into this cult, right? Is there an address on that pamphlet?"

"2741 52nd Street in the city core. Nice and public," Ada said, glancing at the pamphlet's front.

"That'll make going in tricky," Magnus thought aloud.

"Cabras, when you were defusing that guy's magic, did you notice anything particular about it?" Burn asked.

Cabras was still groggy from her catnap. "Ummm…yeah. Those guys were mundane, but they had a second aura mixed in with their own. The magic came from that second aura, though they were able to control it. It was strange. That second aura was…unpleasant. It might have been the reason there were no animals at the lodge. A few of those creepshows come round and animals would sense it."

"So they really can give non-mages magic…" Ada said.

"Not really. They are simply borrowing something else's power. And who knows what the price they paid was," Cabras said.

"So, how do we find our guy?" Magnus asked.

"We could get recruited," Ada suggested.

"Hell no. I am not joining the culty bastards," Burn stated.

"Well anyone except Cabras could try and get recruited. It doesn't have to be you…" Ada said, rolling her eyes.

"I prefer the old fashioned way…break in under cover of darkness and take any info we need," Burn said.

"I'll go in," Magnus volunteered. "I did say I was good at playing dumb. That's certainly a good prerequisite for getting into a cult."

"Sounds good," Ada said. "Keep your commlink open, so we can listen in on what's going on."

"Will do."

As the van reentered Seattle, Burn headed straight toward the Sons of the Awakening office. Finding the building to be a unit in a strip mall, the public nature of the location seemed all the more apparent.

"OK, let's do this," Magnus said, sliding out the side door of Burn's van and strolling up to the front door of the cult's recruitment office. As the chimes above the door rang, an attractive elven woman turned toward him and smiled a model's smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. How might the Sons help you today?"

Magnus looked puzzled. "Yer sign says you are da Sons of the Awakenin'…but yer a chick."

"A slight oversight by our founding father," she cheerfully chirps. "We welcome all races and genders."

"Ah…OK," Magnus said with a shrug. "You guys say dat you kin give me magic?"

"Yes, that's right. After a brief trial period, you can be inducted into our organization, at which point you will undergo a magical initiation of sorts, which will allow you to tap into your unused potential."

"Trial period? You mean I can't start throwin' spells now?"

"I'm afraid not. Some screening is required, to ensure you won't use your magic irresponsibly and to make sure you are a good candidate for the procedure."

"What all is involved?"

"Well, like most religions, there is some charity required from our membership and fellowship amongst our members. We need to make sure any new members are fully committed to the process, otherwise it simply won't work."

Magnus looked thoughtful briefly and smiled. "So how do I get started?"

The woman's smile widened, giving her a predatory look while also looking insane. "I'll get the preliminary paperwork."

Magnus looked around the walls as the woman disappeared into the back offices of the building. The holographic advertisements flickered rapidly, showing images of men and women in the traditional before-and-after portions, with the 'after' side showing them casting some kind of flashy magic. Some looked like your typical metahuman, while others had significant implants, yet seemed to be able to cast spells, according to the propaganda.

"Here we are!"

Magnus turned back toward the extremely cheerful receptionist, as she handed him a sheet of electronic paper.

"Just fill in this form and we can process your entrance application as soon as possible."

"Can I take dis home wit me?" Magnus asked. "If there are any hard questions, I may need to look someting up…"

A brief glare of annoyance flickered across her face, before the plastic smile returned. "Absolutely. Get it back to us the moment it's complete."

"OK. Tank you," Magnus said with an overly wide smile, mimicking the receptionist. He turned for the door and strode out to the van.

"What did you find out?" Burn asked, as Magnus slid back into the van.

"Weren't you listening in?" Magnus asked. "I left my comm open…"

"The moment you crossed the threshold, the signal cut out. They must have signal dampening walls."

As Burn merged back into traffic, Magnus told them about the plastic receptionist and the safeguards against instant enrollment.

"Looks like we're using Burn's plan after all," Cabras noted. "We can't afford to wait for their trial period to lapse before learning anything."

"Agreed," Magnus said. "I don't think I could stand to be around those people more than I have to anyways. Their behaviour is unsettling, to say the least."

"They're in the middle of the city…how do you propose we do this with minimal visibility?" Ada asked.

"All these offices have a rear employee entrance, so we can try and reduce our street level visibility. Then we need to slip past security measures of the building to gain access," Burn suggested. "I don't know that we need to worry as much about the crazies, as we do about Lone Star if they catch wind of our efforts."

"Well, let's wait until sundown and we'll see what we're up against," Magnus said.

Burn sat in the cooling interior of his van in the parking lot adjoining the rear lot of the strip mall. He watched for any signs of foot traffic in the area and thankfully, the area seemed pretty quiet.

"How are we doing?" Burn asked.

"I'm almost done mapping security cameras in the area," Ada said. "Cabras, you should take a look at your end."

"All right."

Cabras settled back into her seat and allowed herself to drift up from her body and into the astral plane. The colours of the city filled her world and she suddenly felt cold, thanks to the emotional ambiance of the area. She circled the building, looking for anything unusual. At the rear entrance, she saw a man with minimal cybernetics, smoking a cigarette outside the target unit. He busied himself with a video game on his commlink, but there was a glow encircling him in a wide sphere. Moving to the outer reaches of its radius she examined the spell he was sustaining and determined that it was some form of detection magic.

Moving around his spell, she slid in through the outer wall of the building and inside the unit. Most of the interior was featureless black objects that she couldn't discern from the astral plane, but she found another person, a woman, in the office. She worked away at a terminal, entering paperwork. Despite the rather mundane task at hand, her emotional state was extremely erratic, whirling from ecstasy to a strong rage almost at random.

Circling around the outer sentry, she returned to her body and shot upright in her seat.

"So?" Magnus asked.

"There are only two of them. One outside, sustaining some form of detection spell and one inside. The woman inside is extremely emotionally unbalanced…she was typing in the days paperwork, but her emotions were all over the map."

"Both magical?" Burn asked.

"Yeah…they both have the same secondary aura we saw in Moses Lake."

"You mean the same kind of aura, right?" Magnus asked.

"No, they are the same aura. The same entity granted all these people some of its power somehow."

Burn turned to Cabras. "How strong does something have to be in order to do that?"

"Quite powerful. The more powerful it is, the more people it can gift. It's called a spirit pact."

"Ever seen a powerful enough spirit to do this kind of thing?"

Cabras shook her head. "Not personally, though I have read about it. Spirit pacts aren't without some risks. What is new in this case is that the spirit is able to grant its power to people without a hint of magic in them."

"So, how do we get inside undetected? That guy out there will notice anyone coming near the outer door," Ada thought aloud.

Burn stepped out of the van and went to the rear of the vehicle. Opening a hidden compartment in the floor, he pulled out a rifle with a sound suppressor. "We don't go near him. We take him out at range and then we hotwire the lock."

"Do you solve every problem with violence?" Ada asked with a scowl.

"It's my way," Burn said. "Besides, these ones don't seem to be the types that listen to reason well. If Cabras is right and that woman inside is bat-shit insane, she won't hear a word we say anyways. If it makes you feel any better, I'm packing gel rounds. They'll simply wake up with bruises."

Ada shook her head in disapproval.

"It may not be elegant, but it's quick and efficient," Magnus said. "Let's suit up and do this quickly. Burn, you hang back with the vehicle in case we need to get outta here fast."

"You got it. You let me know when to drop the guy and I'll keep the engine warm."

The runners pulled ski-masks over their heads and ran up to the point where Cabras indicated the detection spell's radius ended. "Now," Magnus subvocalized to Burn.

Resting the rifle on the window frame, Burn took aim at the man's forehead and squeezed the trigger. The barrel chirped as the weapon fired. The guard's head snapped back as the bullet struck home, flattening on impact. He was thrown backwards, toppling the chair he was sitting in, leaving him sprawled on the pavement.

The three runners ran forward avoiding as many camera views as possible as they approached. Ada used her commlink to track down the wireless system that governed the control of the lock. With a couple quick flicks across her holographic display, the door clicked open.

Pulling the door open, they heard an electronic door chime, notifying the person inside that a door had been opened. The attractive woman that Magnus had seen earlier strode out of the office to see who was stepping inside and turned to see the disguised intruders. Rather than dip into the magic she had been granted, she screamed like a mad woman and charged the runners, arms raised. Cabras unleashed a quick spell and the insane woman collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Is this what happens to people after they've been with these guys for any length?" Magnus asked no one in particular.

"If it is, then we need to find our guy pretty quickly, before we lose our paycheck," Ada said.

The runners ducked into the office and began rifling through the assorted drawers and filing cabinets, while Ada scoured the computer terminal.

"Got it," Ada said. "Initiation Chamber…and an address."

"Good. Let's get out of here," Magnus said.

The runners left after Cabras took the time to sterilize everything in order to hide evidence of their presence. Ada uploaded the address to Burn on their way out the door. "Figure out where we're going…" she said.

As the runners piled into the van, Burn put it in gear and pulled out onto Seattle's streets. "We're off to the industrial district. At least we're going somewhere remote…"

"The fact that it is remote makes we worry about what we'll find when we get there," Magnus said.


	6. Peter

QF Chapter 6 – Peter

The address turned out to be a small office building in an industrial park, long forgotten by the city.

"This isn't what I was expecting," Magnus said, as he looked at the plain, but maintained exterior.

The team stepped out of the van and strolled to the front of the building. They studied the surrounding area as they neared the site.

"It's way to quiet here," Magnus stated.

"It is the middle of the night…" Ada said, with a shrug.

"What he means is the lack of urban decay," Burn said. "In a neighbourhood like this you'd expect to see gangers and homeless people dotting the landscape. There are none here."

"The building may not look impressive, but it's warded to the hilt," Cabras stated. "Until we get inside, there's no way I can check what might be waiting for us."

Burn and Magnus drew their sidearms. "Then we're going in prepared," Burn said.

Ada walked to the front door and tapped her commlink into the weak signal being emitted by the maglock. Within seconds the door popped open. "Hmmm…virtually no safeguards on the lock…"

"I'm hating this already," Magnus said, as he slowly pulled the door open and let Burn lead the way in.

Burn swept the room with low light vision, the crosshair from his smartlink following his gaze. "Clear," he subvocalized, as he stepped into the darkened lobby.

The runners filtered into the room and studied the room. None of the propaganda that saturated the recruitment office was present. In comparison, the office seemed sterile.

"This place doesn't look like it gets a lot of use," Ada observed. "Everything here looks like a prop. The computer is ancient, the furnishings don't look very comfortable…I don't think there's even much of a Matrix infrastructure here."

"Time to see what makes this place so important…" Magnus said, turning to Cabras. "Can you scout the interior?"

Cabras nodded, sat down on the floor and went limp. Her astral form rose up from her body and made a quick pass of the ground floor.

Suddenly, Cabras shot bolt upright, eyes wide. "Oh God, no!"

Cabras' scream of terror was cut short by Magnus clamping his hand over her mouth.

"Christ, woman!" Burn spat in a hushed voice, "Are you trying to get us killed here?"

Magnus restrained the flailing mage, wrapping his large arms around her. "Cabras! Calm down."

Tears flowed from her eyes, as she thrashed against the troll's grip. When she realized that she wasn't going to get free, she went limp and sobbed in his arms.

"What did you see?" Magnus asked.

"I…I can't…"

"Yes, you can."

Cabras clenched her eyes shut. "The upper floor is clear, but there is a lower level. There is something…wrong down there."

"Wrong how?" Magnus asked. His voice was even and without force, not wanting to interrogate a teammate.

"I've seen it before, but…I can't do it again. I can't endure it…"

"If it's magical, we need your help," Ada said.

"I can't…" Cabras said. "If you're careful, it should be OK…"

"What are you going on about?" Burn asked.

Magnus glared at Burn, before returning his attention to Cabras. "Which way do we go? You stay here and cover our exit."

"There's a fake wall up ahead. There's a box of some kind fastened to it. There's a doorway behind that leads down underground…" Cabras said numbly.

"Is there anything you can tell us that might help?" Magnus asked, finally releasing Cabras.

"These people are drawing their magic from the same source. If they all try and use it simultaneously, the power won't be there for them to use."

"OK, let's go check this out and get out of here," Magnus said.

Cabras curled up in a ball and stared into the darkness beyond her teammates, as if waiting for something horrible to emerge.

The three remaining runners followed her gaze and found a mounted firebox on the wall. The false wall slid away easily on well oiled recessed tracks, revealing a stairwell descending into darkness.

"Are you sure about this?" Burn asked Magnus. "Raiding a mage cult without our own magician?"

"Something happened to her in her past and this brought it boiling to the surface. I think she'd be more of a liability than a help at this point."

"So, what's the plan?" Ada asked.

"We go in quick and overwhelm anyone present before they can use their magic. Once they're pacified, we look for our guy," Magnus suggested.

"Good enough for me," Burn said, as he started down the stairs. The stairs were narrow; barely wide enough for Magnus to stand in. At the bottom of the stairs was a small landing before the room opened up into a wide chamber.

"What the hell?" Burn uttered, as he looked around.

The room was lit dimly, unlike the rest of the building. Several rows of benches stood in theater-style seating, providing seating for thirty to forty people. Prominently set in the center of the room was a heavy stone dais in a slight funnel shape. In regular intervals along the outer edge were several channels that ran into a large central recess. On the far side of the chamber was an open doorway to another room beyond.

"Does this look like a ritual chamber to anyone else?" Burn asked.

"Yeah…this must be what Cabras was freaking about," Magnus said.

Burn thought for a moment and realization dawned on him. "Blood magic."

"Pardon?" Ada asked.

"Azzies are known for using blood magic. Cabras came from there…maybe this is some crazy psycho blood cult," Burn speculated.

"Are you implying Cabras is a blood mage?" Magnus asked.

"No," Burn said. "I may have assumed so originally, but gauging by her reaction, I'm thinking she's seen this shit before and her experiences were…unpleasant."

"OK, if we run under that assumption, then should avoid that stone pillar in the middle," Magnus said. "It could be some form of sacrificial altar."

"Great…" Burn said.

As Burn strode into the chamber, an alarm sounded.

"Shit! Damned motion sensors…"

From the far doorway, three men emerged. They locked their gaze on the runners and scowled. They wore simple tank tops and camo print pants with combat boots. Their light attire revealed the extensive amount of cybernetic implantation they had received.

One stared at Burn and spoke with a robotic voice. "You are trespassing."

"Joy…one for each of us," Burn said.

"Works for me," Magnus said.

Burn and Magnus raised their guns and fired. The cyborgs split up and ran for the edges of the room, deftly dodging the shots fired. Ada removed the tip of her right index finger and flicked her wrist to deploy a monofilament whip.

The cultists smirked, as they raised their arm to cast a spell, but scowled when the spells spontaneously failed.

"Seems Cabras was right…" Magnus said with a smile.

Burn ran around the dais, snapping off shots at the nearest cyborg. The bullets struck home, only to flatten against armor plating.

The two cyborgs circling around the edges leapt over the benches in a single leap, extending blades in their forearms, as they descended. Magnus charged forward, grabbed one of the cyborgs out of the air and slammed him into the concrete wall, cracking the wall with the force of the impact.

The other cultist landed and charged straight for Ada. She easily side-stepped the bull charge and the corresponding swipe of the implanted weapon. The wild-eyed cyborg wheeled around and took another swing at Ada. She dodged swipe after swipe until she saw him leave himself open for counter-attack. As the cultist lunged forward, she rolled away and swung her whip in an overhead arc. The razor thin whip lashed around the man's arm and severed it at the elbow. Unfettered by the loss of his the cyborg pointed his remaining arm toward Ada and the deafening roar of a shotgun blast echoed from the limb.

Ada was thrown backward by the force of the blow and slumped against a nearby wall. She clutched a bleeding hole in her abdomen, a grimace of pain etched on her face.

"Ada!" Magnus dropped the cyborg he was pummeling and snapped a pair of shots into Ada's opponent. The rounds flattened against the armor the man had implanted and the one-handed cyborg turned his attention to Magnus.

Magnus' opponent got up to his knees and took advantage of the distraction, plunging his spur into Magnus' thigh. The troll grunted and fell to one knee, wheeling back and driving his elbow into the cyborg's face.

Ada lashed out with her whip and severed the head of her assailant, who was about to shoot Magnus. "Concentrate on your own target."

Burn charged headlong into the last cyborg, hoping to throw him back into a wall. Instead, the man caught the ork mid-stride and lifted him up off the ground by his throat. Burn extended the retractable blade in his cyberarm and plunged it into the arm of his opponent. Unable to support the ork's weight with only one arm, Burn dropped to the ground.

"That didn't go as planned…" Burn muttered.

Burn lunged forward with his spur, but the cyborg lashed out and gripped Burn's wrist with his good arm. "You cannot defeat me…" the man said with his robotic voice.

A new figure emerged in the doorway across from the stairs. Magnus was repeatedly pounding the cyborg that had stabbed him, when he noticed the new arrival. "Hey guys, that's our mark…"

Peter Walsh stood in the doorway surveying the fight with a neutral expression.

Magnus drove the cyborg's head into the floor, rendering him unconscious. "I'll grab him and then we can get the hell outta here so Ada can get patched up."

Magnus stood up and limped toward Peter as fast as his wounded leg would carry him, when he clutched his head and collapsed to the ground.

"Magnus? You all right?" Ada asked.

The troll groaned. "He hit me with some kind of magic. Feels like my guts are on fire…"

"I'll get him," Burn said, still locked in a stalemate with his opponent. He quickly pulled his arm back and delivered a headbutt to the cyborg as he stumbled forward. As the man staggered away, Peter cast a lightning bolt from his fingertips and struck Burn square in the chest. The ork sailed backwards and landed square on his back. He gasped for air as his shirt smoldered from the blast of electricity.

The cyborg regained his senses and jumped up on top of Burn, straddling the ork's waist. When the cyborg drew a long knife from his belt, Burn realized that the bolt of electricity had thrown him back on top of the dais. He could sense something moving beneath him, eagerly awaiting the next offering so it could be unleashed once more. Whatever it was, it was sapping him of his strength.

"To my master, Gaf…I offer you the life of this heathen," the cyborg spoke, raising the knife over his head.

A trio of gunshots echoed in the chamber and the cyborg's head jerked backwards. The knife fell from the man's hand, on to the stone beside Burn. Suddenly finding his strength, Burn pushed the dead cyborg back off of him onto the ground beside the dais. He looked back to see Cabras, standing in the doorway holding a pistol in her hands. Her complexion was pale and she used the wall for support, but she offered the ork a subtle nod.

Peter scowled and launched a new spell at Cabras. The spell hit an invisible barrier less than a foot from her body. She fell to her knees as the force of the spell drove her down. "He's too strong… please… stop him," she said over subvocal mic.

Burn sprang to his feet and ran toward Peter. He mage's eyes widened and he stopped his attack on Cabras in order to divert his attention. Burn gave him no time and drove his metal fist into Peter's head. His head snapped backwards and collapsed in a heap.

Magnus picked himself up off the floor. "I appreciate you stopping that spell, but I hope you didn't kill him,"

"He's alive," Cabras said, her voice barely a whisper. "His aura is still strong."

"I'll carry him," Burn said, stooping down to pick up Peter.

"We need to leave…" Cabras said, staring uneasily at the yawning rock at the room's center.

"Agreed," Magnus said, limping over to Ada. He scooped up the wounded hacker. "Can you heal her on the way back to the Johnson?"

Cabras nodded and started up the stairs, with Magnus and Burn close behind.


	7. Paycheck

QF Chapter 7 – Paycheck

"You found him!" Mr Johnson said with a broad smile.

"Yes, we did," Ada said, smiling as much as her pain would allow. Cabras had managed to heal the worst of the injury, but it would take weeks before being a hundred percent again.

"I'm very, very pleased with your work," he said. He studied Peter's face and noticed a large bruise forming. "What happened?"

"He wasn't coming quietly," Burn said with some distaste.

"You hit him?!"

"Your son fell into a pretty bad group," Magnus said, cutting Burn off from a tirade. "He joined a cult that promised to give him his magic back."

"But that's just nonsense…nobody can give magic to those who've lost it. Peter is smarter than that," Mr. Johnson said.

"Smarter, perhaps… but he was desperate to get his power back. He made a pact with a very dangerous spirit in order to reach that goal. I would suggest you get him checked out magically as soon as possible."

Mr. Johnson looked dumbstruck, as Magnus volunteered the information. He looked at his son and shook his head with sadness.

"About our payment?" Ada asked.

"Hmmm? Oh yes…" Mr. Johnson tapped away at his commlink and authorized a transfer of funds. "I've added a little bonus in there for your professional candor on this job. I assume you approve."

Ada checked the balance and nodded. "Everything is acceptable. Good day, Mr. Johnson."

The runners turned away and walked out the door.

"So what are you guys going to do next?" Magnus asked.

"I'm going to rest and send the address of that ritual chamber to Lone Star's magical division. I'll watch the rest of this unfold from the benches," Ada said, clutching her gunshot wound.

"I'm going to get myself a beer and a date," Burn said. "Then rent and groceries. Real exciting stuff…What about you?"

"I'm taking Cabras out to a nice Thai place I know."

"I thought you didn't date runners…" Burn said, with a smirk.

"I'm not thinking of this as a date. She needs to decompress after confronting her biggest fear. A nice dinner and a few drinks with a friend should help."

"No ulterior motive, huh?" Burn prodded.

"No, there's no ulterior motive. Besides, she's tiny even for a human. I might break her," Magnus said with a lopsided grin.

"Braggart…"

Magnus laughed as he hailed a cab. The three runners parted company and faded into the shadows of the city.


	8. Game Notes for the Team

As requested in the reviews, the following are loose guidelines, should you want to use these characters in your game as NPC's

As requested in the reviews, the following are loose guidelines, should you want to use these characters in your game as NPC's. I only know where the character sheet is for Burn, so if you're looking for exact stats, I can only provide them for the grumpy ork.

But, the following tells you a little about their past and a basis for the characters in a low-powered game. Hope it's useful for interested parties… 

Character Profiles:

Derek Milner aka "Burn" – Burn is a Caucasian ork with a massive chip on his shoulder. He grew up in New York State with an abusive father and his younger brother Corey. When his father beat his brother to the point of brain damage, Derek took his brother and crossed the continent to West Coast to escape the abuse.

To pay the bills, Burn moved to the Native American Nation of Tsimshian to work in the mines of Mitsuhama Corporation. A mining accident involving poorly laid explosives cost him his left arm and causing massive injury. The company sprang for a cheap cybernetic limb and his rehabilitation, doing the bare minimum they could get away with without a lawsuit.

Fed up with corporate politics and their unwillingness to aid his brain damaged brother, Burn set out on his own, taking on less-than-legal work whenever he couldn't get a job as a bodyguard or bouncer. Using a small portion of his income, he augmented his cybernetic limb with some improvements to help him in a fight. He has decided to join the ranks of shadowrunners in order to pay for his brother's medical bills.

Despite being exposed to racism and violence all his life, he is repeating the cycle. He specializes in explosives (the same kind that took his arm) and general strength. He is hypocritical in that he is judgmental of others, often jumping to conclusions that are unfounded. Once you get past his grumpy exterior, however, he is a decent person.

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Burn is ork with more Brawn than brains (average mental stats, below average Charisma, above average physical attributes). His Demolitions and Firearms skills are his best, but he's a decent driver as well. His Karma level is around 50-60.

Jakob Heskel aka "Magnus" – Magnus is not your typical troll. Despite the hardships he has gone through, with racism and overall bigotry from society, he is a laid-back person. Most don't believe it due to his menacing countenance. He stands over 10ft tall and weighs in at almost 650 pounds. Two hooked and jagged horns erupt from his forehead, curling down towards his cheekbones, almost like ram horns. Large boney protrusions dominate his elbows and knees. Many fail to notice his wide smile, simply due to the long tusks that jut up from his lower jaw.

Born poor, he learned to survive on the street partly due to his sheer size and partly due to the fact that he is extremely gifted. He is a quick learner, something many don't consider to be a trait in trolls. Despite getting good grades in school, the perception of his peers and the teachers caused him to drop out part way through high school and enlist with a local gang. He quickly moved up the ranks in the gang, due to his ability to take punishment as well as negotiate with others.

Magnus eventually left the gang when internal strife threatened to destroy his friends and he struck out on his own as a shadowrunner. He is an in-your-face style fighter, though he has learned that firearms have a time and place. As for why he runs, as he puts it, "Meh, it's what I'm good at." He likes using the troll stereotypes in his favour. After all, if people see him and think he's a stupid brute, he'd prefer to smile and show them just how wrong they are.

Magnus is a well rounded troll with above average Logic and Intuition for his metatype. His Firearms skills are quite high, but he is athletic and has a respectable Con skill (playing up the dumb troll to a T). His Karma is in the 75-90 range.

Ariel Dunlow aka "Ada" – Ada is an African-American elf who specializes in the manipulation of others. Raised in a corporate family, she learned to watch the power plays of the corporate world at an early age and learned that everyone (including her parents) had weaknesses that could be manipulated.

Growing up, Ada wanted for nothing, as she was an only child and was spoiled by her parents. She grew up beautiful and used her looks to her advantage whenever possible (without sacrificing too much on her side), both throughout school and her business life. She followed in her parent's footsteps, working with Horizon Media in their black ops division, hiring runners for sensitive work.

She switched to the other side of the table when her parents were killed under mysterious circumstances by a run gone wrong (according to the press release). She has since severed ties with Horizon and gone solo, serving as a team negotiator. She has a slight elven superiority complex, especially when compared to orks and trolls. While she hates combat, she has grown adept with a monofilament whip if the enemy gets too close.

Ada oozes Charisma and Agility, while her Strength and body suffered. Her Charisma based skills are cranked up and is adept with her monowhip. Her computer skills are average. She has no training with firearms however and is quite reliant on her words disarming any engagement. She has a Karma in the 30-50 range.

Anna-Maria Juantorena aka "Cabras" – Cabras grew up in Aztlan, living a simple life as a farm girl with her parents. Living in the shadow of Tenochtitlan, the polluted soil yielded poor crops year after year, but it provided enough for her family to survive on. Her life changed when she hit puberty and her gift of magic began to manifest. She had been chosen by Tlaloc, Aztec God of the rain. Her parents saw the rain God's touch as a blessing, being farmers. At least, until Aztechnology swept in and all but kidnapped Cabras in order to train her magic properly.

Cabras grew up separated from her parents for eight years, as Aztech trained and honed her magical arts. Towards the end of her training, Aztech enrolled her in a nearby magical gestalt in order to increase her potency, so she might join Aztech's soldiers in quelling the rebellion in the Yucatan. What happened in the gestalt is a mystery to all but Cabras and she has buried that knowledge deep. She fled Aztechnology, using her newfound powers, only to learn that her parents' farm had been burned and there was no trace of her family.

Fleeing to Seattle to get as much distance from Aztlan as she could, Cabras runs the shadows to survive. She has a marketable skill as a magical healer and illusionist. She is also hiding from her past. She has seen things that Aztlan doesn't want people to know and would kill her without a second thought. She also hopes that one day, she might find her parents. Knowing what she knows now about her corporate sponsor, the hope that they are alive is a dim one, but it is one of the few points of light she still clings to.

Cabras is an Aztec mage with the Mentor Spirit Tlaloc (Crocodile). She has above average Charisma and Willpower and is average in her other attributes. While her skill focus is definitely in her Magic, she is decent with a pistol and is surprisingly good with automotive mechanics. She has a severe phobia of Blood Magic and is fairly new to the shadows. She has 15-20 Karma.


End file.
